Hello everyone,
For those of you who have been approved in the last couple months, how long did it take to receive the physical green card from the moment your case was approved?
I was approved on May 17 and have an international work trip coming up on June 13 (which I didn’t expect to take at all, but now I am thinking it may be possible).
If that matters, my case was approved at Chicago FO.
Thank you!!
Category: EB3-1 Professional
Priority Date: Apr 3, 2023
Service Center: Nebraska Service Center
Total Days: 1,143 days
Timeline:
Apr 3, 2023 — D0
Priority Date I-485 Concurrently filed with I-140
Jul 11, 2023 — D99
Biometrics — fingerprint and photo
Nov 4, 2023 — D215
Request for Evidence from USCIS
May 19, 2026 — D1142
Interview at Field Office
May 20, 2026 — D1143
Decision — Approved
Interview Experience:
I went to the interview with my husband, who is my derivative applicant. Overall, the interview was very friendly, and the officer was super nice, and with a really good sense of humor and positive attitude.
The interview started with the oath. Then the officer asked us to verify our full names and addresses, likely to confirm the information in our file.
He asked whether we had any children after filing the I-485. After that, he went through the standard yes/no questions from the I-485 form. I changed one of my answer. He said he saw that when he reviewed it prior to our interview. (I was denied VISA once but had answered No in the form)
He also asked my husband basic questions about where he studied and whether he graduated. He was in F-1 at the time of filing. Asked us when I and my husband came to US and with which VISA. Since I had changed jobs and state, he asked me where I currently work and what my current position is.
He asked whether my previous employer was the sponsor of my I-140, which it was. He then asked for a copy of my job offer for the position listed on Supplement J. I gave him a copy. We had actually already submitted it at the time of filing after I switched jobs, but he still kept a copy.
There was also some lighthearted conversation about his college and degree, our wait time, and the fact that our case was paper-based. He mentioned that he prefers online cases.
Asked us to sign the form that I changed my answer.
Toward the end, he checked the visa bulletin and said he would request a visa number and approve the case.
He also gave us some general reminders. He told us to inform HR after receiving the green card, explained that we would be eligible to apply for naturalization after 5 years, and reminded us not to stay outside the U.S. for more than 6 months in a year, and definitely not more than 12 months. He also mentioned being careful with things like speeding tickets and keeping track of any issues. He said citizenship questions are a bit tougher these days and even he has to think about some of them sometimes.
At the end, he asked if we had any questions. I mentioned that I had another interview appointment scheduled for May 21. He said that did not make sense and told us he would cancel it after the interview. He kept a copy of my interview letter.
The case was updated to interview cancelled after few hours and the case approved the next day.
Good luck to everyone still waiting. The process is long and stressful, but hopefully this gives some hope to others in the same boat.
PD 1/4/2024
RD 3/20/2026
Biometrics 4/28
485j approval 5/16
3 FTA0 1 FTA1 same day as 485j approval
I checked with Emma today (5/20) after seeing a silent update and the agent said I am approved.
I am not sure how to take this. Any ideas?
UPDATE: Case Approved. Same day.
Late April filers- Have you received you biometrics yet? I haven't received my biometrics yet although I noticed there were two silent updates on 5/11 and 5/15. Anybody on the similar situation?
Received Date: 04/24/2026
Notice Date: 05/07/2026
Hello, it is finally my time to share my timeline.
Receipt block: IOE09355
From 75 Countries
| Date | Update |
|---|---|
| 09/11/2023 | Priority Date Established |
| 02/04/2026 | Filed I-485, I-485J, and I-765 |
| 02/07/2026 | IAF event created (case received) |
| 02/25/2026 | Biometrics appointment notice issued |
| 02/26/2026 | Biometrics completed |
| 02/26/2026 | 2x FTA0 updates received |
| 03/30/2026 | First ghost/silent update |
| 04/01/2026 | Second ghost/silent update |
| 04/01/2026 | Case transferred to SVF-FO (non-local) |
| 05/18/2026 | Third ghost/silent update |
| 05/19/2026 | New FTA0 event added/reused |
| 05/19/2026 | I-485J Approved |
| 05/20/2026 | I-485 Approved (EB3 Skilled Worker – E36) |
I485J timeline update: USCIS website status never changed from “Case Was Received and A Receipt Notice Was Sent,” and no event codes appeared in the API. except for the IAF. However, the approval notice showed up directly in the Documents tab.
I765 only shows 3x FTA0 from biometrics on 2/26/2026, no silent updates. still pending.
Priority date: Sept 18, 2023. Concurrent filing submitted recently (I-485/I-131/I-765/I-485J + medicals). Receipt notice date is May 6. Clean record, maintained lawful H1B status throughout, employed at a reputable tech company, no RFEs so far. Receipt batch starts with IOE09366. I’m also from one of the countries currently being discussed under the “75 countries” additional vetting/security conversation, so I’m not sure whether that affects timelines at all.
For people with similar timelines/batches recently:
How long did it take to receive AP?
Did your biometrics get reused or did you receive an appointment?
Are employment-based ROW cases actually moving much faster now?
Realistically, should I expect AP first or is there a chance the whole GC gets approved before AP/EAD?
Has anyone from similar countries seen delays/security checks affecting EB cases recently?
Trying to understand current trends/timelines because Reddit timelines lately seem all over the place 😅
RD: April 21st 2026
Priority date : November 2024
Silent updates : yes to all forms the date of biometrics 05/12 AND one earlier today with no code just timestamp for I-485! Any idea what means ?
Yesterday I chatted with agent and was told that I-485 is at NBC while I-765 and I-131 are in Nebraska . Also agent said that for now interview is waived !
My current visa expires end of May so I have to stop working thus I am concerned of timing for combo card approval as derivative !
Hi r/USCIS_EB3. I'm Elizabeth Mavec, an immigration attorney at Manifest Law.
I know a lot of people here are sitting in a really frustrating spot right now. PERM timelines are long, the FBI vetting delays are slowing final approvals for cases that felt almost done, and with today's layoffs some people are also wondering what happens to their EB3 and pending I-140 if their job disappears.
If you have questions about your timeline, what a layoff means for your case, portability, or why things have gone quiet, ask me. I'll do my best to help.
(All information shared here is for general educational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice or create an attorney-client relationship. Your situation may require fact-specific guidance. For personalized legal advice, please consult an immigration attorney directly.)
When filing I-485, has anyone’s lawyer filed Supplement J (I-485J) even though you did NOT change employers and didn’t use AC21 portability? If yes, did your lawyer explain why they filed it?
Just trying to understand the situation better.
Edit: If anyone else have any other information, please share it too 🙏🏻😭T.T
Hey guys! Case update 🎉
📋 RD: April 27 | Notice Date: April 29
📩 Bio notice uploaded to case: May 15
📅 Original appt: June 4 → rescheduled to May 18 9AM Dallas South ASC
✅ Went for biometrics! May 18
✅ Got TWO FTA0 codes right after on both I-485 and I-765
✅ I-485 and I-765 status changed to "Still Being Processed by USCIS"
✅ Silent timestamp update on I-485-J right after bio
---
📊 Updates after biometrics: May 19
✅ New FTA0 appeared on I-765 (total 3x on I-765, 2x on I-485)
✅ I-765 receipt info API shows location: SCD — previously NBC
Checked with live agent today and they mentioned my 485 is still at NBC.
Note: This API only works with I-765 receipt number and shows where your case is physically located:
```
https://my.uscis.gov/account/case-service/api/cases/{YOUR_I765_RECEIPT}
```
---
🙋 Two questions for the community:
Any insights appreciated! 🙏
Hypothetical: your PERM gets approved in ~2-3 months, and you’re hoping to file I-140 (premium processing) + I-485 concurrently (assume your priority date is current under DFF).
What would you do now (in those 2-3 months before approval) to set yourself up for the shortest possible gap between PERM certification and a concurrent I-140/I-485 filing? What docs would you start assembling so you can file the day approval lands?
And if you’ve walked this path: what were the long-lead or holdup items between PERM and I-140/I-485 that slowed you down? Anything you’d do differently to compress the timeline?
I have a RD of 4/28 and notice day of 5/6. Yet to have biometrics scheduled as of right now. My spouse filed at the same time and was charged same day as me the filing fees however is yet to receive any receipt notices. Is this common? Anything to be worried about?
My PD Jan 2024. Was finally able to file I-485. My question is I just got the receipt notice and online i only see the I-485 and I-458J. I also filed for EAD and AP when should I expect them to? Thank you!
What’s your timeline looking like so far?
Mine: EB3- ROW
PD: Jan 10, 2024
RD: Apr 3, 2026
Receipt notice received: Apr 11, 2026
Biometrics notice received: Apr 24, 2026
Biometrics completed: May 8, 2026
No updates since then, at least on the regular USCIS site. I don’t check for silent/API updates.
EB-485 Timeline (Approved 🎉)
EB3-professional
• PD: May 25, 2023
• RD: Nov 14, 2025
• Biometrics: Dec 16, 2025
• ROW / Part of the 75-country[Nepal]
Updates:
• Jan 22, 2026 – First silent update (Emma said case transferred to St. Louis)
• May 8 – Silent update
• May 9 – Silent update
• May 11 – Silent update
• May 15 – Silent update
• May 16 – Silent update
• May 18 – Silent update + I-485J approved
• May 18 – Another silent update on I-485 about 2 hours after I-485J approval
• May 19 – Received “USCIS has taken an action on your case” email
Final Approval:
• I-485 approved on May 19, exactly 24 hours and 10 minutes after the last silent update 🎉
For anyone tracking silent updates — they definitely meant movement in my case. Good luck everyone still waiting!
PD OCT 2023
RD 3/13/26
BIO 4/15/26
Silent update 4/22/26
Silent update 4/29/26
Silent update 5/13/26 (Emma confirmed mine and spouse cases have been transferred to Charlotte Amalie FO as of 5/12/26) Non-Local, Interview waived
Anyone similar timeline?
Does anyone know processing timeline for Charlotte Amalie, VI FO?
Thank you in advance.
Hi everyone,
I am so excited to write this post after reading hundreds of those in the past!!💛
I applied for EB3 ROW with one dependent (my husband), and we are not part of 75 countries.
Here is a recap of my timeline
-PD September 7, 2023
-RD March 4, 2026 (NBC)
-Biometrics appointment completed (both myself and my spouse) April 6, 2026
-My husband got his combo card approved on April 25, 2026. Nothing on my side.
-Case silently transferred to Chicago FO (non local) on April 29, 2026 (found out after asking Emma).
-I-485J approved on May 16, 2026 for both my husband and I (no notification)
-I-486 approved on May 17, 2026 for both my husband and I
-> text + email notifications received on May 17, 2026
I didn’t check the silent updates (was quite confused by it honestly lol).
So far the card has not been produced, waiting for it to happen soon! :)
Thank you all for your support, and good luck to everyone❤️
Hi Any of you guys EB3 skilled PD April 2023 and still waiting for your GC approval please share your timeline
Thank you
